KINGMOOR PARK ENTERPRISE ZONE WELCOMES IT’S FIRST INWARD INVESTOR

KINGMOOR PARK ENTERPRISE ZONE WELCOMES IT’S FIRST INWARD INVESTOR

Winterbottom’s Schoolwear Ltd have become Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone’s 170th tenant and the Enterprise Zone’s first occupier from outside the county following the company’s relocation from Accrington. The site as a whole including the outlying sites, Heathlands, Harker and Rockliffe has over 200 tenants.

The company, who design, manufacture and supply schoolwear, made the move to Carlisle to ensure a streamlined expansion plan that promises to create at least twenty jobs over the next three years. Their new 25,000sqft warehouse on Kingmoor Park Central will be used for the storage and distribution of their specialist product.

Winterbottom’s are a subsidiary company of Lowe Clothing International Limited and currently employ around 25 people across Carlisle and Knaresborough.

Jonathan Lowe, the Group’s Managing Director comments:

“We have found the whole process of relocating to Kingmoor Park extremely easy and efficient. The Management Team of the site are extremely supportive and helpful.

As a business we found it very easy to move into our new premises and the whole process of starting afresh in Carlisle was made much less daunting having the support of the Kingmoor Park team.

The site is the perfect location for our distribution needs and provides ample opportunity for expansion and we are already in talks about purchasing a plot of land to create our own building in readiness for further expansion. We are looking forward to growing the business substantially over the next few years, both in terms of volume of garments and staff that operate on the park”.

Kingmoor Park is Cumbria’s only Enterprise Zone. These figures are set to rise soon following the completion of 19 new units designed for SMEs which has been financed by Kingmoor Park and European Funding (ERDF). Similarly, DSD Construction have begun building their brand new 10,000sqft headquarters on Kingmoor Park North. Both projects are within the Enterprise Zone boundary and occupying companies are entitled to the associated benefits of up to five years business rate relief up to £275,000 as well as simplified planning permission and superfast broadband.

Kingmoor Park’s Managing Director, Neil McIntyre comments,

“This is not only a really exciting time for Carlisle, but also for Cumbria as we celebrate

new investment in our county. We were awarded Enterprise Zone status in 2015 to kickstart inward investment into the area. This latest addition to the site is evidence that what Kingmoor Park has to offer can attract businesses from elsewhere in the country and that awarding Enterprise Zone status compliments this.”